Homicide: Life on the Street - Season 5

Overview

he fifth season of Homicide: Life on the Street aired in the United States on the NBC television network from 20 September 1996 to 16 May 1997 and contained 22 episodes. A new opening sequence debuted with the start of this season, including elements of a police investigation and a growing chatter of radio transmissions behind the theme music. In addition, pictures of the actors were displayed alongside their names for the first time. The sequence ends with the ringing of the squadroom phone and a voice answering, "Homicide."

Two new characters appeared during this season: Chief Medical Examiner Julianna Cox; and Detective Terri Stivers, a Narcotics officer who works with Homicide to bring down local drug kingpin Luther Mahoney.

The season finale introduced Detective Paul Falsone, a member of the Auto Squad briefly on loan to Homicide, and re-introduced Stuart Gharty, now a detective assigned to Internal Investigations. It also marked the departures of regular characters Megan Russert, Kay Howard and J.H. Brodie.

Episodes

A riot breaks out at the prison, where two inmates are killed. The squad goes to the scene, but Frank must still stay behind. Bayliss, Lewis, Kellerman and Howard interview the inmates; many of them have familiar faces. Frank works on his target practice. Bayliss thinks that one inmate really wanted to tell him something, so he puts together a deal to get the information. The inmate confesses to the murder and Bayliss doesn't believe him. Another riot breaks out and the truth is finally discovered.

Family members of murder victims (Widmer, Rath and Silvio) are in a support group where they discuss their feelings about the loss they have each suffered. Short-handed, Gee investigates the Widmer homicide at the Waterfront Bar. Bayliss' homicide is unidentified for 48 hours before she is identified as being Rath. Lewis and Munch investigate a car jacking at Federal Hill, where the mother is the victim and the 3-year-old daughter in the car at the time is missing. Meanwhile, Howard, Kellerman and Pembleton stay behind. Frank interviews the two witnesses that Tim had in for questioning and gets a lead on a suspect. Cox joins the support group meeting late; she is still coping with the death of her father.

On New Year's Eve, the detectives sit back in the quiet of the evening and watch a documentary that Brodie has made about them and their work. In this documentary, entitled ""BACK PAGE NEWS: Life and Homicide On The Mean Streets Of Baltimore"", one of Frank and Tim's cases is covered where some ""lies and hidden truths"" are revealed. During a sequence about one of Mike and Meldrick's cases, they chase a suspect right into the filming of something called ""Homicide"" by director Barry Levinson and his crew. Mike and Julianna agree to try a date. Also, the identity of the ""lunch bandit"" is revealed to be Gaffney. Brodie reveals that the documentary has been sent to PBS and gives his reasons why. As the new year rolls in, things return to normal as the phones start ringing.

Frank and Tim investigate the death of a young girl whose abused body was found by the side of the interstate. Brodie goes to an interview with a new potential roommate. Kellerman finally gets his day in court, where he is supposed to take the 5th amendment. Frank and Tim disagree with their pursuit of the investigation. Frank tries a different approach with the mother and she tells him the story-- only they won't be able to get a murder one conviction. Julianna comes down to the courthouse to offer Mike some moral support. He sees Connelly come out of the courtroom and thinks things are going bad, so he prepares to give it all up. However, his appearance before the grand jury doesn't go quite as he expected. Brodie walks out of the building with his new roommate. The detectives try to celebrate Kellerman's freedom, though he has different thoughts about the situation. Tim tries to come to grips with the child abuse he experienced in his past and also tells Frank he doesn't want to be

Kellerman is disappointed with his treatment in the press (or rather the lack of it). Back on the job, Mike gets his first case. There was a shopkeeper who was killed for chasing the drug dealers out of his corner. The prime suspect is Luther Mahoney. Frank tries to reconnect with Tim who is still resolved to no longer be Frank's partner. Mike is visibly on the edge, with all the pressures of the past months and his reputation tarnished, and agitated by the fact that Luther Mahoney may get away with another murder. Meldrick tries to talk him down, not anxious to lose another partner.

A new Baltimore Sun reporter gets into the middle of Frank's investigation of the death of a county cop who was shot because of drugs. Gee likes her style. Mike's brothers, Drew and Greg, come to town, who want to take him and his boat to Miami to set up a charter service. Mike learns that they are on the run from a bookie that Drew owes $18,000. To pay that debt, they've stolen Babe Ruth's Baltimore uniform from another bookie with the intent of selling it. Lewis and Cox go in search of the Kellerman boys. They find them in jail where they spent the night after trying to return the uniform.

Bayliss has disappeared again as Pembleton and Brodie make their way to the scene of a shotgun suicide. The victim appears to be Beau Felton. Gee's letter, including information gained in the ""Burundi"" case, begins to make an impact at the highest levels of the department. Frank returns to the department with the news about his case. Lewis goes off, wondering who is going to be next. Det. Falsone comes to the squad with news about why he thinks Beau Felton killed himself. Lewis and Stivers discuss the Mahoney shooting. Cox finds something interesting about the Felton case; she digs in deeper and the results change the case to a murder. Bayliss turns up the next day and disappears again to his Uncle George's place. Pembleton and Howard try to work with Falsone to find Beau's killer. Gee finds out that Beau had been working undercover for the past six months on the Cantwell auto-theft ring. Megan Russert returns from France.

Mike and Julianna wake up the morning after a night of drinking and passion. The investigation into Beau's death continues; Howard wants to be the primary while Frank tries to maintain control. Gee asks her to step aside and let him do the job with a more unbiased approach. The investigation creates some unlikely pairings: Pembleton with Gharty and Bayliss with Falsone and Munch on his own. Meanwhile, Howard and Russert make arrangements for Beau's funeral. Lewis and Kellerman's investigation into a homicide is stalled; when Kellerman's hangover laden police work is shoddy. When it appears as thought the investigation is going nowhere; Kay demands to be put on the case. Gee refuses. Because of his bad day and finding Julianna drinking with someone at the Waterfront Bar, Kellerman suggests that they should stop drinking. Frank tries to call Mary; eventually they connect and reconcile; with Frank saying that he is willing to give it all up. They find out who killed Beau, but when they go